In My Veins
by Bleeding Writer
Summary: We cannot choose who our hearts love or how fiercely we love them, no matter how much we try. It's like they're apart of you. Like they're in their veins and you just can't get them out. RaeX. Rated M for adult situations.
1. Part One

**Disclaimer for the whole story: Nope. No. No. Nuh-uh. Sorry. No.**

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><p><em>"Everything is dark. It's more than you can take. But you catch a glimpse of sunlight…Shining, shining down on your face…" <em>

**Part One**

She sighed internally as she listened to the rich stiff in front of her drone on about the architecture of the room. She had been in this room before. With the same man before. Telling her the same story that he told her before.

The only reason why she was still listening to him was that the Titans needed backers to help keep the lights on at the Tower. So there she was, in a cocktail dress, with makeup on, surrounded by people, saying the appropriate things at the appropriate times, and praying that someone would come and save her from such a dull fate.

Fortunately, a deity from above heard her prayers when Nightwing and Starfire passed by her.

"Oh!" She exhaled, reaching over to Starfire and pulling at her wrist. "Mr. Abignale, have you spoken to Starfire and Nightwing yet? I heard them mention something about the chandelier when we came in and I'm sure they would love to hear the epic story behind it."

The older gentleman's eyes sparkled at another chance to tell his tale and proceeded to retell the story about the chandelier. At which point, she took the opportunity to flee, giving apologetic looks to the two new victims as she made her way out of the ballroom and towards the garden.

Stepping outside, the sweet perfume of flowers blooming greeted her and invited her further out. She breathed, taking in the night air and relishing the feeling in her lungs. Inside it was stuffy, full of people covered in artificial perfumes and personal body odor. It made the room feel claustrophobic and gross.

_Yes_, this was a better alternative.

Taking off her heels, she sighed when her feet collided with the soft grass while she headed for the hedge maze. The soft fabric of her inky blue dress dragged behind her as she walked through, heading for the middle with ease having been there reached into her cleavage and pulled out a small box and lighter when she made it to the middle. Finding a bench and dropping her heels on the grass beside her, she sat down. She tapped the box against the heel of her hand before opening it and pulling out a white stick.

Putting it in her mouth, she flicked for it to come on. She tried once. Twice. Three. Four. Five times. Nothing. Then, she heard a voice behind her.

"Need a light?"

She jumped in surprise, standing up with her hands aglow and ready to attack. Only to find a sharply dressed man standing there with his hands up and open, save his left thumb that held a small lighter.

"Whoa! Whoa! I'm not a threat," he said with a nervous smile. "Just offering you a light."

She sighed in relief and calmed, her magic absorbing back into her palms. "Sorry... Reflex."

"No, no, you're alright," he pushed, "I should've known better than to sneak up on a Titan."

"Still...

"Still... How long are we going to keep up this thing where I say "you're fine, it was my fault" and you say "no, I insist it was mine?" Because we can just say it was both or neither of our faults and save the time," he offered with a smirk.

She felt the corners of her lips twitch but did not smile. "It's better if I apologize. You are the bene-

"Benefactor so you have to kiss my ass?" He finished, taking a few steps closer to her, "Is that what the Boy Wonder told you?"

She pursed her lips in thought, trying to form the correct sentence in her mind before speaking. He beat her to the punch.

"Your silence speaks volumes, Miss Raven," he smirked, "And despite what your fearless leader says, you do not have to kiss my ass. Sit?"

She looked back at the bench she was sitting on prior to the intrusion and shrugged hesitantly before sitting back down.

"May I?"

Looking at him curiously, she nodded her head. "By all means."

He took the seat next to her with a smile and held out the red. "Still need that light?"

She blinked as she looked down at the still unlit cigarette in her hand. She stiffened for a moment. Civilians weren't supposed to know about her nasty little habit. She was supposed to be a shining beckon of good and an upstanding citizen. Not a cigarette smoker.

"It's alright," he chuckled, "I promise, I won't tell."

She curled her tongue in her mouth in thought as she felt the need for nicotine calling out to her. After debating with herself for a few moments longer, she nodded her head and brought the cigarette to her lips. He held the lighter out and lit her cigarette for her. She took a few small drags before pulling away from the flame and taking a longer one. She felt the familiar buzz she got from the nicotine press and swirl around her brain. Closing her eyes to savor the feeling, she exhaled, a stream of smoke coming out.

"Thank you," she sighed with a small lick of her lips. He nodded back before putting the lighter away in his blazer and leaning back against the stone bench.

"Beautiful night," he murmured looking up at the stars.

Looking up, she nodded. "It is," she exhaled again, before looking over at him.

"Do you smoke too?"

"No," he shook his head with a smile as if he had a secret.

"Then, why do you have a lighter?" She inquired, taking another drag.

He sighed and shrugged. "Over the years, I have found that people tend to leave you alone if you decide to go outside to smoke."

She perked an eyebrow at him in interest. He smirked and showed her the box that read in his inside pocket of his jacket. "I bought this pack when I turned 18. That was about eight years ago,."

Raven snorted before taking one more long drag. "I hope you don't offer those to people. They must be stale."

He let out a small chuckle with a nod, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees. "No, I do not. They're, now, merely for show."

"But you keep a lighter?"

"Often times, when one goes to pretend to smoke, he will find real smokers (such as yourself) and they often do need a light. A service I am happy to oblige as long as they keep my secret."

Raven nodded in thought before stubbing her barely close to finished cigarette out. With interest piqued, he raised an eyebrow at her.

"Finished already?"

"I don't need more than that," she shook her head, "I never finish a cigarette."

"May I ask, why that is?"

"Well," she considered the question briefly, gathering her thoughts, "after the third drag, it doesn't taste as good. The buzz of the nicotine goes away and it tastes like smoke. And not in a good way."

He chuckled again. "You must go through a lot of packs, then."

"On the contrary," she said, "I rarely ever smoke."

"So what's the occasion for this particular evening?"

"I'm wearing makeup, an evening gown, there's product in my hair, I'm being forced to be nice to people who are full of themselves and just want to rub elbows and take pictures with the heroes of this glorious City we call Jump , and... I'm wearing _heels_," she said in a deadpan voice.

He smiled, seeming to resist the urge to laugh. "Fair enough."

She paused for a moment, replaying what she just said in her mind before realizing what she had done. "I'm not saying you're full of yourself-

"It's perfectly fine, Miss Raven," he waved, "I can be full of myself from time to time as well."

She furrowed her brows at him for a moment before shrugging it off. "So why are you out here?"

"Like you, I grow tired of the same conversations people tend to have at events such as these," he answered. "And it's exhausting, trying to one up everyone. Or to have someone suck up to you. Like the Boy Wonder in there."

She smiled to herself. "I take it you're not a fan."

"Not particularly, no," he nodded with a grin.

"Why not?" She asked, curiously, turning her body towards him to get a better look at him.

She watched him chuckle, his jet black hair falling around his face, before he sat up with his wrists resting on his thighs. She couldn't help but notice the sly grin that donned his face as if he had a secret behind his lips. He looked straight ahead while he considered his words.

"Let's just say... He and I don't see eye to eye," he said carefully.

"Well, that was all very vague," she drawled, wittingly. "What don't you see eye to eye on?"

A low rumble vibrated in his chest again. "The way we deal with people, I suppose."

Her eyebrow perked and gestured for him to continue.

"He is... Very eager to please," he said carefully. "As it seems."

"And you are otherwise?"

"I pride myself on it," he smirked.

She didn't know why but she found herself smiling in amusement. "That's still a very vague answer."

"It's the best I could come up with without flat out bashing your fearless leader," he laughed. "That would be rude of me."

She nodded, her smile still remaining, "Well, thank you. I appreciate that."

"You're quite welcome, Miss Raven."

She bit her inner lip a little before looking to the ground. There was something about him that made her feel... Warm? Was that the word?

"I will admit though," he added, causing her to look up. "If it wasn't for him, I probably would've missed you."

"No, you wouldn't have," she replied, simply, looking back down at her dress and playing the the soft fabric between her fingers.

"Is that so?"

"Yes."

"And why is that?" He asked, crossing his arms over his chest. "Pray tell?"

She shrugged in response. "How could you miss someone you've never met?"

He paused for a moment. But only for a moment.

"I don't know," he answered, softly. Soft enough to cause her to look at him. His green eyes looked into hers, and suddenly, she felt naked.

Like he could _see_ her...

"But I would've missed you somehow," he finished.

She felt a blush rise to her cheeks and she looked away again. Boy, was he charming! But she had to keep herself in check.

"Did I make you uncomfortable?" She heard him ask.

She snapped her gaze back to him. Goddamn it! Those eyes were looking at her again.

"No, why?"

He smirked. Why did he have to smirk? Damn the gods that gave him that smirk!

"You were looking away, blinking once every second, and straightened yourself so to put distance between us. All the telltale signs of your uncomfortablity. All you're missing is your hood."

Handsome, cheeky, and perceptive... What a lethal combo.

"Uncomfortablity isn't a word," she fought.

He shrugged. "And what is a word but an invention of men in attempt to communicate to each other, hmm?"

Clever, too...

She cleared her throat. "You seem to know a lot about me."

He scrunched his face at the sudden change of topic but went with it. "It would be hard not too. Between the press-

"The press doesn't get a lot about me. They're all obsessed with Starfire."

"Misplaced obsession, if you ask me."

"You're very observant."

"I am."

"But I hardly know anything about you."

"Would you care to make a few guesses?" He challenged with sly grin of his.

She couldn't tell which one she couldn't stand more: his smirk or his grin. She decided she liked them both.

"You weren't born into this life," she stated.

He gave her a look of genuine astonishment. "Is it obvious?"

"No," she answered simply. "I can imagine you blend in quite well in there. But you have something that those, who have had money all their lives, lack."

"And that is?"

"Humility."

He nodded his head, looking off to the side as if he was thinking.

"Am I correct?"

"You are," he said, with a sigh sitting back. "I grew up in a big city-

"Gotham, no doubt."

He chuckled. "Yes, Gotham."

"Explains a bit more of your aversion towards Nightwing."

"He was annoying then and he's even more annoying now. But that is off topic."

"By all means, continue," she encouraged, turning her body to face his again.

"I uh..." He tapped his thumb against the heel of his hand as he tried to recall the memories. "I grew up in a boys home. Went from being an invisible kid with no parents to being invisible angry teenager who did what it took to survive. Gotham isn't an easy town to live in."

She nodded, listening to his story with interest.

"Anyway," he sighed, "One day I stole the tires off of this guy's car. Really, really nice car. I mean, custom work, limited edition, not even out in the market for another year, type of car. As I was getting the last tire off, he caught me. So I ran from him for a little bit and got away. Or so I thought.

"The next day, he was at the boys home and said that I could stay with him for a while if I wanted to. I knew the guy was wealthy and he seemed nice enough so I said yes. Next thing you know, I was going through lessons on how to be a proper gentlemen and going to events like these and being presented as such. And now-"

"Here you are," she finished for him with a nod. "He taught you well."

He smiled. "Thanks."

"You're welcome."

He hummed a little in response before inhaling a little. "So... Anything else you would like to guess about me?"

She thought on this for a moment before shaking her head. "Not at this particular moment, no. I would however like to know your name."

Smirking, he held his hand out to her. "Jason. Jason Todd."

She moved her hand to shake his but he changed the position so he could kiss it. She gasped a little before pulling herself together again.

"It's nice to meet you Mr. Todd," she said politely, forcing down her blush when she saw intense but gentle green eyes looking back up at her.

"Please," he replied softly, "Call me, Jason."

Her breath hitched in her throat at the tenderness of his voice. She cleared her throat again. "As long as you stop calling me, 'Miss Raven'."

He chuckled. "As you wish, Little Bird."

A small voice in her head said that the name sounded familiar and wondered if she should question it but it was small and it was fleeting. It was all part of his charm, she chalked it up to.

"Well," she started with a sullen sigh. "I suppose I should go back inside now."

"Yes," he agreed as he stood up. "I'm sure your presence is sorely missed."

"I highly doubt that," she lightly chuckled, picking up her shoes and taking his open hand to allow him to help her up. "But it's good of you to think so."

He chuckled, moving his arm so that it wrapped around hers. "I don't believe that's true. Mr. Abignale seemed to have an affinity for you."

She rolled her eyes playfully as they walked arm in arm through the garden.

"Mr. Abignale has an affinity for anyone who will listen to him talk about that chandelier."

He laughed. "Oh, that chandelier! I must've heard that story at least a dozen times."

"I sometimes wish it would fall and break into a thousand pieces so I would never hear that story again," she joked.

He laughed some more as they strolled, talking about anything they wanted or enjoying the peace of the night.

As they neared the entrance to the building they slowed their pace, lingering for a few seconds more with each step. When they reached the pavement, Raven stopped and attempted to put on her shoes.

After watching her struggle for a few seconds, he took the shoes from her.

"Here, let me," he offered with his charming smile.

Not giving her much choice, he guided her to another stone bench and helped her sit before taking a knee. Taking her ankle in his hand, he gently lifted it so that he could slip the shoe on.

Raven tried not to blush, looking anywhere but him. But he was so gentle but firm with his touch as innocent and simple as it was. He noticed this and grinned.

"Just so you know, Little Bird," he said as he went to slip on the shoe. "The feeling is mutual."

Not daring to look back at him, she swallowed. "And what feeling is that, may I ask?"

Tilting his head to the side, he watched her carefully as he slid the other shoe on her foot. "You make me just as nervous as I make you."

Looking back at him with wide eyes, her heart fluttered in her chest. His green eyes were looking at her. Damn, those green eyes! How she want to float in them forever...

It wasn't until he chuckled and looked down at her foot that she came back to reality and realized that she hadn't responded to him with a witty remark. No, in fact she just sat there, staring at him like an idiot. Her blush grew brighter in embarrassment.

She murmured a thank you when he slipped the last shoe in place, straightening out her dress and standing. "So um... Shall we go in?"

Standing along with her, he inhaled and looked up at the night sky. "It's a beautiful night..."

Befuddled by the response, she nodded her head slowly. "Yes, it is..."

"I think I'll stay out here for just a little longer. Admire it's beauty," he answered with a smile. "I was a bit distracted earlier by yours."

Blinking and blushing more, she shook her head in attempt to protest but he stopped her.

"You'll come to find, Little Bird, that I have an affinity for all things beautiful," he smirked, his fingertip just barely caressing her cheek as it went to push a lock of hair behind her ear. "Now, please, fly on inside so that I could stop watching you. I'll see you again soon enough."

Speechless again, she nodded before turning around and heading inside. She looked over her shoulder at him, curious to see if he was still watching. And he was. She blushed a little more but willed herself to say something.

"See you around... Jason Todd."

"See you around, Little Bird," he grinned.

Biting the inside of her lip, she proceeded inside, the door shutting behind her.

He watched her until she was out of sight before he sighed.

"Well, that was interesting," he murmured to himself as he adjusted his watch.

Suddenly, his tuxedo changed to a black outfit with a red _X_ on it. Slipping the mask on his face, he sighed again. "Oh well... Time to get to work."

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><p><strong>Read and Review!<strong>


	2. Part Two

_"Oh, you're all I taste at night inside my mouth…"_

**Part Two**

Walking into the restaurant, she smiled to herself to find that she would have it mostly to herself. It had been a few weeks since she had day off and she was looking forward to it.

Requesting a table for one, she followed the young Vietnamese lady to her table in the corner before sitting down. Murmuring a thank you, she quickly ordered her usual - jasmine tea and chicken pho soup, and sent the waitress off to get her food with a sigh.

The babble of the small waterfall in front and the sounds of strings being plucked overhead, filled her ears and relaxed her. Looking around she saw two other women and a man sitting by themselves and reading a book - much like she was about to do. She furrowed her brows at the dark haired man. There was something… _Familiar_about him.

He must of felt her eyes on him because he looked up straight at her - green eyes meeting amethyst. Her breath hitched in her throat as his ever recognizable grin slid across his face.

Jason Todd.

He gathered his things and stood before walking over to her table. Pulling herself together, she swallowed her nerves and pursed her lips. He was not going to get to her so today.

Looking back up, she saw him stand there, his grin still ever present.

"Hello, Little Bird," he greeted, warmly.

"Mr. Todd," she retorted a little colder than she expected to sound. "What brings you here?"

"I could ask you the same thing," he pointed out. Gesturing to the empty seat in front of her, he asked, "Are you expecting anyone?"

"No."

"Do you mind if I join you, then?"

"No, I don't suppose I do," she shrugged.

Chuckling to himself, he pulled out the seat and sat down. As he put his things down, she noticed the now open book in his hands.

"Gustav Klimt."

Looking back over to her, he perked a brow. "Yes."

"You like his work?" She asked.

He nodded. "I do."

"Why?" She asked as her tea came over. "And don't say it's because you have an affinity for beautiful things."

He chuckling again at her memory, he shrugged. "Well, he begun like any old symbolist - pale nudes, allegorical gardens, and undertones of sex. Then, he went through a Sargent period with efficient society portraits. Then, a Whistler phase of women in white, and the furnishings slowly disappear."

"So you would say that his evolution style is well elucidated and that what attracts you to his work?"

"Yes," he nodded. "And he pieces together all of his influences brilliantly. Monet and Seurat in the landscapes. Munch in the hunch and syphilitic striplings and Beardsley's graphic positions in the figures.

"The eclecticism is pure Klimt, piecing a picture together in gilded mosaics, stuffing it with all the luxuries of world art from the spiritual to the sensual, melting solid flesh into fantastical ornament, rich and strange and, in his strongest works, vividly disorientating and beautiful," he finished.

She nodded at him for a moment, studying him. "You're an artist, aren't you?"

He laughed. "Out of all of that, that is what you got?"

"Am I correct?" She pushed.

"No," he grinned, taking a sip of his drink. "I am not an artist."

"But you do work in art world?" she guessed again.

He nodded. "Yes."

"What do you do?" She finally asked, sitting back when their food came.

"I'm an art dealer," he answered, simply as he put the finishing touches on his soup. "I'm about to secure a Klipt for a client of mine."

"So you're doing your research," she finished for him before taking a sip of her soup. "That's what you're doing here."

A low chuckle rumbled in his chest. "Yes, that and this space has some calming qualities about it on a Monday afternoon, I find. Not to mention good food."

"I agree," she conceded.

"So what brings you here all by your lonesome?" He asked. "Is the Wonder Boy driving you crazy?"

She rolled her eyes. "It's my day off. Unless there's a really big emergency, no fighting bad guys for me today."

"Hmm," he hummed. "Lucky for me."

Looking up from her soup, she saw him grinning down at her. She fought the blush that threatened to come up again by pursing her lips.

"I didn't see you inside at the gala the other night," she stated. "I wondered what happened to you."

"Oh," he sighed, looking back down at his soup. "I was about to go in when Red X decided to crash the party. When I saw everyone running out, I figured it would be smart if I just joined them."

She nodded. "That was very smart of you."

"I heard he got away?"

She sighed. "Yes… With a few thousand dollars worth of jewels under his belt."

He hummed in thought. "Well, I'm sure you'll see him again."

"Hopefully, we catch him next time," she huffed. "Nightwing has a affliction to obsess over the villains we can't catch."

"I would hardly call him a villain," he defended with a sip of his green tea. "It seems to me that he's merely a masterful thief."

"He steals dangerous things from time to time and sells them to more dangerous people for money," she retorted. "Therefore, whatever he takes could be dangerous and, ergo, villainous."

He shrugged. "I'm not worried about him."

"Yeah well, Nightwing is and that makes me worry too," she sighed. "I really don't enjoy doing three hour drills before I have my morning tea."

Chuckling, he nodded. "I could only imagine."

"It's not pretty," she replied with a little smile of her own.

"But he can't be all that bad," he shrugged with a grin. "I heard he destroyed Mr. Abignale's favorite chandelier."

"He did," she nod, her smile growing. "And for that I will be forever grateful to him. Might have to thank him next time he appears."

He laughed softly, "See? Hardly a villain."

She giggled softly to herself looking back down at her soup. "In that regard, I suppose so."

Tilting his head a little, he observed her as she ate her soup, a soft and dreamy look gracing over his features. After a few seconds of feeling his eyes burn at her skull, she looked up at him.

"What?"

"I was thinking," he said, the same dreamy look on his face.

She looked around uncomfortably under his gaze and shrugged. "About?"

"Asking you out on a date," he answered.

Her eyes widened, dropping her spoon in the soup. She held her breath and blinked wildly as if it would help her sort through her thoughts.

"I… You… _What_?" She breathed.

He smiled that insufferable but charming smile of his and tapped the table with his finger. "I like you. I find you genuinely interesting and I would like to get to know you better. And I am not a man to leave things to chance, saying things like 'maybe we'll run into each other again and maybe I'll ask you next time' or something of the like.

"No… After we're done here, I would very much like to see you again. So, I'm asking: Would you like to go on a date with me?"

Blinking again, mouth agape, she thought about her response. She fluttered through every reason why she should and why she shouldn't and thought of every scenario that could possibly happen in a matter of seconds. But all of this didn't matter because without meaning to she said,

"Yes." Oh gods, what had she done?

He smiled widely at her before picking up his spoon again. "Good."

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><p>"<em>Mmm!<em>" She hummed, her eyes rolling to the back of her head in pleasure.

He smirked cockily at her. "That good?"

"_So_ good," she sighed, her eyes fluttering open to meet his. "If art dealing doesn't work out, you should be a chef. People will pay _through the nose_ for this kind of food."

He laughed as he watched her enjoy his food with amusement. "I told you I was an amazing cook."

"I'm sorry I ever doubted you," she smiled as she reached for her wine glass.

"Apology accepted," he nodded.

She let out a little snort before taking a sip of her wine. He smiled back at her, stabbing a fork into his food and taking a bite while he watched her with interest and admiration.

It was their 17th date in a little over a month and things were going rather well. Better than either of them had expected even. They matched each other on almost every level and understood each other in a way that most didn't. And that was…

It was… Liberating.

"Who taught you how to cook?" Asked Raven, as she put her glass down. "I can't imagine you cooked a lot in the boys home."

"I cooked enough to stay alive in the boys home," he mentioned, clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth. "But I didn't really learn until Alfred taught me."

"The butler?"

"Yes," he nodded with a laugh. "He said, 'You're not going to be like the Master who can't boil a pot of water to save his life. You're going to know how to cook, if it kills me'."

She chuckled softly at his attempt of an English accent. "If you ever talk to him again, thank him for me."

He chuckled along with her. "Well, what about you? All that time in Azarath, you ever learn how to cook?"

She hummed a little, thinking back to the rare times that she cooked. Tapping her finger against the glass of the table, she nodded.

"I… Was taught to brew potions. To heal, to change one thing to another… I know how to brew a potion specifically for instant death but apparently… my cooking would also suffice and for a lot cheaper," she joked, lightly.

He laughed loudly, folding over in his seat while she tried to keep a straight face. Pursing her lips, she looked over at him with a half glare.

"Stop laughing. It's not funny," she fake pouted, taking a sip of her wine.

"Oh, of course not," he chortled, leaning over to place a kiss on the side of her mouth and trailing over to her lips. She tasted of dark wine, cherries, and promises and it was intoxicating, he couldn't help but indulge for as long as she would let him.

"I'm sorry," he whispered between their lips. "I shouldn't have laughed."

She smiled as she kissed him back, matching him kiss for kiss but continued to pretend to be upset. "It was…quite rude."

He chuckled as he kissed her again, his hand lifting to rest on her chin lightly before working its way to the back of her head and gripping her hair there.

"I said… I was sorry… Don't be mad at me, Little Bird…"

"Don't call me… Little Bird."

"_Little Bird…_" He whispered, pressing his lips harder. He was winning her over, he could tell.

"Jason…" She breathed with a roll of her eyes, trying not to give into his persuading lips.

"Don't be so mean, Little Bird…" He tried again, moving his lips down to her neck and licking the pulse point there. Hearing her gasp, he smirked as he continued to kiss her, licking and nibbling her neck.

She chuckled at him as her arms came to wrap around his frame and play in his hair. "You started it."

"Yes, but now I'm finishing it," he whispered huskily before kissing her lips again. "Forgive me, Little Bird?"

"Mmm… Fine…" She whispered back, giving up her facade and finally, giving into him.

Smirking triumphantly, he tugged at her hair to kiss her deeper - his tongue sliding against her lips, asking for permission before entering. Her sigh of surrender tickled his tonsils as he latched onto her soft mouth. Out of all the girls he had kissed in the world, she was by far the best.

Though her kisses and gestures were sometimes slightly timid, there was no hesitation. She matched him kiss for kiss, lick for lick, bite for bite - his equal in every way. And he loved that about her.

The lustful twitch in his stomach quickly came to life as he clutched her sides possessively. When he heard her moan into his mouth, he thought he was going to lose it- ready to drown in her taste, her touch…

_Just her._

Sweet, wet sounds danced between them as things became more frantic and frenzied. Jason dragged his teeth over her bottom lip and down her chin to her throat. Her quickened pulse thrummed against his tongue as her sighs and moans ghosted across his temple, and he nibbled greedily at her flesh.

Despite her demonic heritage, she tasted like _heaven_ to him.

Feeling his need, he couldn't help but slide his palm over her stomach, and then higher. He knew he was rushing it but the control between his brain and his body was lost to him.

"Jason…" He heard her whisper, causing the control to snap back into place. He pulled away from her abruptly and sat back in his seat with his eyes closed.

"Too far, I know. Im sorry," he apologized, mentally ridiculing himself for losing control like that.

In all the time they had been dating, they never went beyond kissing. A request she made and that he, surprising to him, respected and honored. Pressing his thumb and index finger against the bridge of his nose, he took a breath as he tried to calm down, contemplating how he was going to get rid of the pressing matter in his pants.

Feeling her fingertips dance at the base of his neck, he squeezed his eyes shut tighter. She never knew it but her touch set his skin on fire.

"Jason…" He heard her whisper again. "Open your eyes. Look at me."

"Give me a minute," he asked with a deep exhale. "I just need to-

"I wasn't going to tell you to stop."

"I respect your decision to- wait… What?" he asked, his eyes opening again and looking at her, finally.

He watched the blush crawl over her face before she stood up and walked towards the bed of his studio apartment. Seeing her hands reach down to the hem of her shirt, he swallowed while his heart sped up. She lifted the garment over her head and pulled her hair out of its half up and half down style, the tips of her hair falling at her shoulder.

He grit his teeth when she reached around her back to unhook her bra, leaning forward to rest his elbows against his knees. He was tempted to get up and touch her but there was something sexy watching her undress for him. Unhooking her bra with nervous fingers, she taking it off her from her shoulders.

"Slower," his voice called out, deeply, not knowing where the bold demand came from.

She shivered a little at his voice but complied, slowly peeling the piece of clothing off. Licking his lips, he finally got up from his chair and walked over to her. His hot breath ghosted over her shoulder blades as he came up behind her and his hand lifted to caress her arm on its own accord.

She jumped a little at the suddenness of his movements, turning around to face him. He took a moment to admire her form before forcing his eyes up to meet hers. Raising his hand to cup her cheek, he searched her eyes for an answer to a silent question.

Planting her palms in the sides of his face and lacing her fingernails in his dark hair, she pulled him closer and placed her lips on his.

He hesitated for a moment, uncertain if this was actually happening, but it was only for a moment. His fingers found her hips and pulled her roughly against him. He kissed, licked, sucked, and gorged on her mouth - his need for her burning at his navel. His arms wrapped around her, hands going wild around her back, sides, and waist, trying to get as close as he could to her. To melt into her.

Raven glided her hands down his chest and tugged at the seam of his black shirt. Feeling her fingertips graze over his skin and shift the offensive shirt up his torso, he broke the kiss and yanked it roughly over his head and tossed it aside. He barely gave her a moment to admire him before his lips were on hers again like a frantic time-fated lover. He dug his fingernails into her hair and pulled it while his other hand pulled at her hips again to feel flesh against flesh. He groaned against her tongue when he felt her curious hands feel his chest, her fingers pausing a little at his scars. He knew she would ask questions about them but he couldn't concern himself about that now.

His hands moved down lower, pausing at her bum and squeezing it before pulling his hands to the front of her pants. He made quick work of the button and the zipper there and pushed her pants down. Refusing to remove his lips off her, he trailed his lips down from her mouth to her throats to her chest to her stomach as he helped her out of her pants.

He groaned when he felt her fingers thread through his hair and heard her small gasps and whimpers of pleasure. He lingered at her panty line, noting the black lacy fabric there, debating on if he should find out what she truly tasted like. But he decided against it (at least, for now) and dragged his lips back up her body. He kissed her lips again before slipping a hand between them to remove his own pants and underwear with skilled movements.

Maneuvering them over to his bed, he pushed her into the mattress, as gently as his need would allow, and crawled over her, his mouth still on hers. He felt her nerves seize up again when she felt his desire press against her thigh but made no moves to stop distract her, He grazed his teeth over her collarbone and hooked his fingers into the hem of her underwear and pulled them down over her thighs, knees, and ankles with practiced patience.

Glancing up at her, he found her watching him with wide and wary eyes. "Are you-

"Yes," she breathed, her fingernails drawing patterns behind his ears. "Yes, I'm sure."

Nodding, he tilted his head up to kiss her lips again as he settled between her thighs but her shaky voice stopped him.

"Jason, wait, " Raven called. He froze, his face lingering right above hers and praying to whatever Gods that were up there that she wouldn't say that they couldn't do this. He would surely lose his mind come morning if they couldn't. He watched her licked her lips and gave him a pleading look. "Go slow."

Furrowing his brows, he said, "Are you a vir-

"No.. But…" She muttered, nervously, "Just once."

_So there's pressure…_

Nodding his head at the information, realizing just how much she was giving him. His chest thrummed with lust and something else - something that made him feel giddy inside.

"Put your hands on my shoulders and grip as tight as you need to," he directed.

His words seemed to calm her as she stole a kiss from him. Immediately, he deepened it as to distract her from his wandering fingers.

Despite her nerves, her body was certainly keen and ready for him - wet and silky to the touch. He stroked the pad of his thumb over her sex bud, earning him a shy moan dancing across his tongue, and slip two fingers inside her in attempt to prepare her. After stroking and rotating his digits, he decided that he had done all he could to prepare her for him.

Positioning himself appropriately, he gave her another soothing kiss and she trapped his bottom lip with her teeth. Rubbing her spine, he entered her, her muscles seizing up and her nails biting his shoulders. He couldn't help but his as she dragged him in, ignoring the sharp pain in his shoulder as all sensation went south. She was tight with inexperience and panic and it was fucking wonderful but he wanted - nay, needed her to enjoy this.

"Relax, Little Bird," he whispered between their lips as he carefully slid out and filled her again, knowing that she had to accommodate to him. He repeated his painfully slow movements until he felt her muscles relax and her teeth release his lip. He dipped his head to the croak of her neck, remembering that she had been rather fond of what his mouth did there as he quickened his pace.

Losing sense of control, Raven moaned with each stroke he made inside her, the feeling feeding the foreign flame just under her navel, and writhed her hips to get more. Jason lifted his head from her neck to look at her, their glazed over vision locking onto each other, as his breath fell into her mouth and tingle her tongue. A low and throaty groan rumbled in his chest as he looked at her and the exquisite knot that he had created since that night in garden swelled and tingled.

His body moving to its own accord, he wrapped his arms around her back and sat up, resting on his haunches so that she was flushed against his sweat covered chest. Holding her head firmly, he kissed her more fervently than they ever had, his fingers twisting and getting tangled in her hair as he adjusted them to the new angle. Knowing that it would rub against her clit, he moved his hips in purposeful motions before trailing his kisses away down to her chest and breasts.

Her sounds were becoming more intense and climbed higher in pitch as he thrust into her. Her velvety muscles tightened and squeezed, quivering in his arms with abandon while her racing heart against his tongue, signaling to him that she was close and to will himself from indulging in his own bliss for just a little longer.

Whatever gods be damn'd if he didn't feel her unravel first.

With a stuttering cry, Raven came undone, the pulsating heat traveling through her body and all of her limbs. The muscles inside her clenched as she shuddered gracelessly, allowing the bizarre but beautiful feeling to consume and drown her.

Clutching her tightly to him, he held her face, his thumb pulling at her bottom lip as he watched the wonder before him. With a few stolen twists of his hips, he felt his loins burst and released into her. Smothering his groan against her chest as she clutched onto him tightly and soothed him. Her fingertips dancing and threading themselves through his dark hair, she sighed against his ear. His breaths calmed as she played with his hair, his limbs feeling more and more lead-like by the second as she absently kissed the tops of his shoulders - her own body being weak in his hold.

Easing them back onto the mattress and absentmindedly grabbing the covers, he shielded them from the chill and disentangled himself from her to lie next to her. Observing her, he noticed that she was looking around the room with a worried glance.

"I think I lost control of my powers," she murmured.

"Good," he chuckled weakly.

"I broke your lamp."

"It's a lamp," he shrugged, moving closer to her and draping his arm over her stomach. "I'll get a new one."

She nibbled her lip. "I'm sor-

"Don't you dare fucking apologize, Little Bird," he warned, darkly. Her eyes snapped over to his, worried eyes meeting determined ones. "It's a lamp. It's a fuck all lamp. If I made you feel so good that you lost control, it's fucking worth it. I could give a fuck about that lamp, Little Bird. Fuck that lamp and whatever else you broke. You're worth it."

She hesitated for a moment but she smiled, taking comfort in his words and knowing every word was true. He only said "fuck" if he truly meant what he said she noticed.

"Thank you," she whispered.

"For what?" He furrowed his brows. "Telling you you're worth more than a lamp?"

"For being gentle," she murmured shyly.

It was times like these where his heart thudded with an unfamiliar hammer, making him sit back and wonder just how deep he was getting. But his mind was too tired to find out the answer at the moment and kissed her lips softly instead.

"Rest, Little Bird," he murmured, allowing his hand to push back a strand of hair behind her ear. On the crest of sleep, she sighed to his touch and closed her eyes, letting the exhaustion take her with a mumble of something incoherent as he guided his thumb over her eyebrow.

Despite himself, he dropped his hand to drape over her mid-section and pulled her closer to him. He knew he shouldn't prolong the affection. He knew that every display of affection he bestowed on her pushed him further down the rabbit hole.

_But…_

Closing his eyes with a long exhale in resignation, he rested his chin against her forehead as he held her close to his body.

But there was just something about her…

* * *

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	3. Part Three

**A/N: The Italian language used is straight from Google translate and the translation is as follows:**

**"Il pirata non troverà il tesoro…" = The pirate will not find the treasure...**

**"Se il Rosso-X non segna il punto." = If the Red X does not mark the spot.**

**"Come stai vecchio amico?" = How are you, old friend?**

**"Ottimo." = Very Well.**

_"Nothing goes as planned." _

**Part Three**

There was something about having her soft body flushed against his that was soothing to him. Maybe it was her warmth from her body, like the sun. Maybe it was her little purrs and hums and mewls she muttered in her sleep.

Or maybe…

It was the sense that he wasn't alone when he woke up. That someone was there. That she was there to chase the dark demons of his mind away with all her light.

He couldn't pinpoint the reason but he did realize that the spot that she occupied when they slept had gone cold and that she was no longer there.

Frowning, he opened his eyes and searched for her before finding her at her usual spot on the balcony. Clad in one of his button ups, she looked enchanting as she stared into the beyond, her mind leagues away from this place. He grinned when she shifted from one leg to the other, his shirt raising up and exposing her lack of underwear.

He got up quietly and walked over to her sunlight form. He smirked when she jumped slightly as his arms wrapped around her and held her tightly against him."Hey," she breathed, placing her hand on his on her stomach. "I didn't hear you get up."

"The Titans most formidable member being ambushed and startled by a mere mortal," he teased, his lips dancing on her cheeks and placing soft kisses on them. "Wait till the papers get wind of this."

She snorted. "They would have a field day with that story. It may even start an angry mob to get me dismembered."

He chuckled against her skin. "Well when the witch hunt begins, I promise to hold your hand all the way to the bottom of the river."

"Thanks," she said with a playful roll of her eyes and sarcasm dripping from her voice.

He smiled wider against her flesh, his nose buried deep in her silky hair and smelling the jasmine scent there. He could die in that scent, a little voice echoed in the back of his head.

Shaking his head of the thought, he dipped down to place open and gentle kisses on her shoulder. "You're up awfully early."

"You know I'm an early bird. It's not my fault you stay up all night," she teased as she talked over her shoulder to him.

He grinned, devilishly, moving his kisses to her neck and nibbling the flesh there. "Well, if I can recall correctly… You were up all night with me…"

"That is irrelevant," she said a bit too quickly, a blush forming at her cheeks.

"It's not."

"It is."

"How is it irrelevant then?" He asked, his lips still at her neck and his hands gripping at her hips and pulling her into him.

She bit her lip, trying to resist his persuading mouth on her skin. "You were the one doing the waking."

"I didn't hear you complain last night…" He whispered, darkly. His hand dipped from her hips to her thigh and came back up her inner thigh to cup her heat. "Especially when I touched you _here_ with my tongue…"

She shivered against him as his fingers teased at her clit in a slow stroking motion causing her to gasp in pleasure. She clawed onto the stone bannister in front of her while the other hand could help but get lost in his black hair, gripping and pulling there.

He knew just how to rile her up.

"In fact, I could say…" He hummed, his tongue flicking at her lobe before nipping at it with his teeth. "You were _screaming_ my praises last night."

His fingers moved in a circular motion over her clit, enticing a small mewl of pleasure from her lips. Bringing up his other hand, he held her jaw and turned her face to him to marvel at her beauty while he pleasured her with just his fingers alone.

He watched how her cheeks would pinken and her lips would swell from nibbling there. How her lips would part, allowing the pants and the dulcet sounds escape from her mouth. He watched as her eyes flickered red at him, knowing that he was exciting the demon within her with his teasing.

Capturing her mouth in a heated kiss, he sped up his circles over her sex bud and pressed her harder against the bannister with his own body as if to melt with her. His mouth kissed, licked and sucked at hers desperately as he swallowed moan after moan. It was exhilarating to see her like this, inhibitions free and lust-driven, focusing on nothing but what his fingers were doing to her.

He loved it.

He groaned when he felt her bum grind against his hardened sex in an attempt to tease him back. But he couldn't let her have the upper hand. At least, not yet. He still had a point to prove.

His teeth sought out her bottom lip, capturing it and dragging his teeth along it. "I'm waiting for an answer, Little Bird. How is my argument irrelevant?"

His circles stopped as he went back to stroking her folds up and down, dipping further and further in every time. She panted as her hips bucked against his devilish hand in an attempt to scratch an itch that burned just beneath her skin.

"Ah, ah, ah…" He tsked. "Answer my question first, Little Bird."

"If you hadn't…been awake in the first place…. I would've…mmm… Slept through the night," she panted, her eyes sealed shut as he continued to tease her. "Therefore, your argument is… _Ah!_… Irrelevant."

His sly grin donned his face as he dipped two fingers inside of her, making her hiss in pleasure. Her hips bucked harder and faster against his hand as he pumped his fingers in and out of her. But he wasn't ready to let go of the argument.

"But did enjoy yourself, didn't you?"

"That is… Irrelevant," She licked her lips as she speared herself against his hand to make him go faster.

Burying his fingers deep inside her and stopping, he watched her gasp in surprise before opening up her eyes. "Is that so?"

Breathing heavily, she nodded, a trickle of panic filtering in her eye. "Yes, it is."

"Well, in that case…" He removed his fingers from her and spun her around before slamming her back against the window. She grunted at the contact but it was quickly forgotten when his body covered hers with his face only centimeters from hers.

"I have one more point to make," he growled through gritted teeth, his hands traveling beneath the button up she was wearing and grabbing at her ass as he pressed himself harder against her.

"And what point would that be?" She panted, standing her ground against him.

He grinned again.

"Oh you'll find out," he whispered, smugly, before crashing his lips against hers. She was with him in a heartbeat, her hands diving into his hair and tugging it to bring him closer.

He moved his hands from her ass to her thighs, hitching them up and snaking them around his torso. He didn't trust himself to slip inside her. Not just yet. He wanted to tease and torture her just a little longer.

Her mouth was desperate against his, tugging and pulling at him wherever she could. Her need for him driving her every move and it was so fucking arousing! He was so hard that the muscle beneath the strained skin throbbed in pain but he wasn't satisfied with his teasing yet. He wanted her to beg for it.

Moving one hand to her back to support her, the other hand sought to massage her swollen flesh between his fingers again. Gasping, Raven broke the kiss and threw her head against the brick wall before looking at him with half lidded eyes. She bucked her hips against him again and pulled her legs tighter like a possessive vice around him. Her eyes flashed red again and he knew he had her.

"Jason…" His name sounded like it was a secret prayer from her lips. He shivered at the sound.

"Yes, Little Bird?" He smirked, his eyes flicking from her face to her mouth.

"Please…" She whispered.

And there it was. The plea.

Latching his mouth onto hers, he hitched her up a little higher so he could grab his length. But the moment that he pressed himself against her slit, a distant ringing was heard. And he knew the ringtone:

Work was calling.

He paused for a second before he decided to ignore it and kissed her again. But she heard it's ring too.

"It's your phone," she murmured between their lips.

"It's not important," he brushed as he tried to get the moment back but it was quickly slipping through his fingers like sand.

"It's your work phone," she insisted, lessening the intensity of their kisses. "It's important."

"They can leave a voicemail," he argued. He knew he was losing now but he had to still try.

"Jason…" She warned before pulling back completely. "Go. Answer it."

He growled as he dropped her legs down to the ground, resting his crown against her collarbone. "_Fuck_!"

She chuckled, running her fingers through his hair lightly before gently pushing him off her. "It's not like we're in a rush. Day off, remember? Lazy Sunday today."

"I know," he pouted lifting his head and heading into his apartment to get his blasted phone. "I just really wanted to fuck your brains out there."

She rolled her eyes at him as she headed for the kitchen. "Honestly, you can be so crass sometimes."

"Part of dating a guy who grew up in a boys home and _then_, became a gentleman," he smiled, looking down at his phone and seeing the name on the screen - The Italian. "Sometimes the boys home part comes out."

Shaking her head with a smile, she waved her hand at him. "Answer the phone while I make us some tea."

With a grin, he picked up the phone and pressed the button to talk. "Il pirata non troverà il tesoro…"

"Se il Rosso-X non segna il punto," the voice said back. "Come stai vecchio amico?"

"Ottimo," Jason responded before heading over to the bathroom, giving Raven an obligated sort of look. Shutting the door behind him, he paced around as he talked to the man on the phone.

It was private information, the man required, from another company in Istanbul and he needed to leave tonight if he was to get it within the time-frame he was allotted or he would lose the client completely.

After a few moments of gathering intel, Jason agreed to the task and hung up with a heavy sigh.

"Damnit…" He whispered, rubbing his hands over his face and pulling at his hair. Now he had to lie to her- something he found quite hard to do around her and tried to do less and less of as their relationship continued. Stressed, he scratched the back of his head as he came up with something to say to her.

"Fuck," he sighed out again. He had been looking forward to their lazy Sunday together.

Sighing again, he stood up and left the confides of the bathroom to the open space that was his apartment where he saw Raven sitting on the kitchen counter with her legs crossed and a book in one hand and a cup of tea in the other. He couldn't help but think of how cute she was like that.

He walked over with a hung head before reaching the first cupboard and leaning his head against it, looking at her.

Peering over her book, she observed him for a moment. "Which one of your buyers was that?"

"The Italian," he sighed.

"And what does he want you to procure?" She asked, putting her book off to the side.

"New work. From this guy in Istanbul. Rumor mill says, he's gonna be big. He wants to get it before he gets really popular and do that thing that all the hipster kids do."

It wasn't a complete lie, he reasoned. But it wasn't the whole truth either.

She nodded at him. "So when are you going?"

He flinched, pressing her head against the cupboard more before looking at her, guiltily with one eye. "Tonight."

Nodding her head again, she lifted her head. "What time?"

"My flight leaves at seven," he answered reluctantly.

Looking up at the ceiling, she nodded once more as she evaluated the situation. "So much for our lazy Sunday."

"So much," he sighed, eyeing her carefully.

"Well…" She started with a tilt of her head, putting her tea down. "It's a good thing that we're up early."

Perking a brow in curiosity, he turned to her fully. "Oh?"

"Mm-hmm," she replied leaning back and uncrossing her legs and spreading them open, giving him a view of her womanhood. His eyes drifted down to her sex that was still swollen from their earlier activities and swallowed hard. His cock twitched as the blood rushed back down to it, hardening him once more.

"We have 11 hours before you have to get ready to go…" She purred at him with dark intentions behind her eyes.

Taking a few steps towards her, his eyes glossed over her body, still prime and ready for him. "We do…"

When he reached her, she crawled her hand up his chest to the back of his neck while her legs found themselves around his waist again, pressing his sex against hers. His hands travelled up her legs, pushing the shirt up on her hips and squeezing the soft flesh of her ass. Her body was so warm. So inviting. He loved it.

"Let's not waste time and let's get to the point…" She whispered before clamping her legs tighter around him and engulfing him. He almost lost it right there.

Good _gods_, what was she doing to him?

* * *

><p>He pulled her close to him as they walked silently through the moonlit park, something they regularly did after a date night out.<p>

He often enjoyed their nightly strolls. It reminded him of when they first met in the garden all those months ago. Back when being Red-X wasn't so complicated and Jason Todd was only a cover he used. Now he was straddling both personalities and keeping up with them was proving to be more difficult than he thought it was going to be. But he couldn't give it up.

He couldn't give _her_ up.

Burying his nose in her hair, he breathed her in as her thumb caressed his knuckles and her lips placed a soft and affectionate kiss at his neck.

"Mmm…" He hummed, kissing her hair. "Did you enjoy the show?"

"I think I have a new obsession for Jacques Brel," she answered with a smile, looking up at him.

"I told you," he chuckled, pulling back and looking down at her. "What was your favorite song?"

"Hmm… It's between _Marieke_ and _Amsterdam_."

"I knew it!"

She looked at him with surprise. "How could you possibly know?"

"Simple. Because I know you, Raven," he answered, simply. "I know what you like."

She looked at him for a long moment. Not saying anything. Just looking as if she was studying him. A private smile snuck on her face and she rested her head against his shoulder.

A strange and weird feeling came over him but it was comfortable. Warm and inviting. It washed over him, starting from his heart and spreading out to the rest of his body through his veins. He had never felt like this before about any woman.

About anyone, really.

But he felt it for her. And it scared him.

The sound of an annoying ringtone brought him out of his thoughts and made him roll his eyes. "I swear he does this on purpose."

"Oh yes, he comes up with an emergency just to break me away from you," she replied sarcastically, pulling the communicator from off her hip and separating from him. "He hasn't even met you - at least, not formally, since you refuse to meet him or any of my friends for that matter."

"Unlike everyone else, I'm not excited about meeting celebrities. Especially, if the celebrities are armed superheroes that can shred me to bits," he argued. Again, not a lie. But not the whole truth.

"Get that, will you? People could be dying."

Shaking her head with a small smile, she walked off to the side and flipped the communicator open. "Raven here."

"Raven! What's your location?"

"Jump City park. What's going on?"

"I need you to head to the Lexcorp Inc. building on 5th and 22nd in sector 7 as soon as possible. We'll meet you there."

Growing serious, she phased her civilian clothes to her usual uniform. "Okay, what is it that we're up against?"

"Slade."

The name stopped his heart. Slade was back? _Now_? In Jump City? And she had to go fight him?

He gritted his teeth and clenched his fists at the idea. He knew about the sick thoughts the monster had about Raven and what he wanted to do with her the night of her 16th birthday.

_No_… He didn't want her to go anywhere near him. But he knew he couldn't tell her not to go. He dug his hands in his pockets and looked at his feet, trying to shut off from her - shut off from feeling the rage he had bubbling inside.

She finished up her conversation with the boy wonder before she turned and walked back up to him. "Hey I have to go. Nightwing needs all hands on deck for this."

"Okay," he muttered, looking anywhere other than her. "Have a good mission."

Turning away from her, he walked in the direction of his apartment- his nearest safe house. Maybe if he could get there, he could keep Raven from being left alone with Slade.

"Hey!" She called after him, her hand reaching from his arm. "Don't walk away from me! What's wrong?"

"Nothing," he answered, still walking ahead. "You have to go save the masses. So go save them."

"Hey, you knew what you signed up for when you asked me out. You knew what dating me would all entail. Don't walk away from me when I'm talking to you!" She shouted, pulling his arm more forcibly so that he faced her. "What is your problem?"

"Nothing!" He exclaimed with a shrug of his shoulders. "You're right. I know what I signed up for when we started going out. I knew you would be pulled from our dates to go fight some bad guy. I knew what I was walking into."

"Then why are you so upset?" She argued, moving her head to get his eyes.

"I'm not upset," he flinched. He lied again, putting a bitter taste in his mouth as his anger grew.

"Then, why won't you look- look, look, LOOK AT ME!" She shouted, grabbing his face by the jaw and forcing him to look at her. "Tell me what's wrong!"

"MY GIRLFRIEND IS ABOUT TO GO FIGHT A PSYCHOPATH, ALRIGHT! THAT'S WHAT'S FUCKING WRONG!" He shouted.

With a growl, he pulled away and paced around for a bit, his hands running up his face and pulling his hair. He didn't understand this feeling. This growing need to protect her. To be with her. This… This constant spine-gripping worry that had taken over him.

"You're about to go fight a psychopath that I _know_ for a fact almost ra-." He choked on the words as he felt his blood surge through him like fire. He put a fist over his mouth as if to physically stop the words from pouring out of his mouth and clenched his eyes shut. Taking deep breaths, he continued on. "And I know there's nothing I can do to get you to not go and that…"

He exhaled, shakily. What was wrong with him? "That- that's not always easy to do. So forgive me if I'm not in the best of moods right now."

He never felt like this before. Not with anyone. Not even with the Bat, himself. Everything about this was new and foreign to him, going well beyond the feelings of lust and admiration.

Maybe he loved…

Too busy processing what he was feeling, he didn't notice Raven coming up to him and placing a hand over his heart. Feeling frantic and being caught off guard, he gripped her tightly with his fingers biting into her skin, making her gasp.

But not from the suddenness of his movements or the pain of what he was holding her… But from what she was feeling from him.

If there was one thing he knew about her empathic powers, he knew that the best way to get a read on someone's emotions was for her to put a hand over the person's heart. Everything that they were feeling at that exact moment, she had direct access to.

And at that moment. she could feel _everything_ that he was feeling. All of the confusion. All of the fear. And all of the…

They locked eyes on each other, the world fading into nonexistence. His heartbeat rang in his ears and his breath stopped as they looked at each other.

It was in that moment that they both knew for a definite fact that he loved her.

The world flooded back between them, hitting him like 500 tons of bricks. His heart sped and he gasped for air. Fear gripped his spine like an icy hand, jerking him back away from her and cutting off the connection she had to his heart.

A small silent moment passed before she stepped towards him. "Jason…"

"Don't you have a mission to get to?" He asked suddenly, his mind still reeling from his discovery.

She stopped for a moment before walking up to him with new determination and grabbed his face and kissed him with all her might.

He stayed still. Uncertain about what to do, what to think, how to feel. But the massage of her lips against him called out to him and coaxed him out of his head and into their present. He took a breath between theirs lips before wrapping his arms around her, holding her tight, and kissing her back as hard as he could. His hands went wild across her back, sides, waist, neck, and hair. Memorizing it. Possessing it.

His. All his.

Pulling away, she let out a shaky breath. "Now this is the part where you tell me to fly away, Litttle Bird."

"No," he replied with his forehead against hers.

"No?" She questioned, looking at his face through her lashes.

He shook his head as his hand found the back of her head and holding her there. He pulled back and looked deep into her eyes and whispered softly to her.

"No, this is _not_ the part where I tell you to fly away. This is the part where I tell you to fly back to me."

_Fly back to me…_

"Fly back to me, Little Bird…"

_Fly as hard as you can._

"I need you to fly back to me…"

_I need you…_

"Don't let him hurt you…"

_Don't let him touch you…_

"Fly back to me, Raven," he finished, a hint of fear and desperation dancing in his voice.

She nodded at him, giving him one more soft kiss before stepping away and turning into her soul self and flying off.

He watched her go from the ground below. He sighed, shakily. From her flying off to battle Slade or from the sudden realization that his feelings for her traveled much deeper than he originally intended, he didn't know.

Maybe it was both.

Regardless, he knew that being Red X and being Jason Todd was going to be infinitely a lot harder than it already was. The voice of Red X told him to run while he was ahead and forget her.

But Jason Todd couldn't.

* * *

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	4. Part Four

_"Oh you're in my veins and I cannot get you out…"_

**Part Four**

It wasn't supposed to go like this.

It was supposed to be a simple in and out procedure but unfortunately, he hadn't counted on some punk teenagers tagging the side of the building and calling the cops on him.

He especially, didn't count on one of Starfire's starbolts hitting a bin full of flammable chemicals.

He lifted his cape over his face, squinting his eyes to see through the smoke from the growing flames. He coughed as he ran down a corridor, the Titans close at his heel with there fearless leader at the head.

"We can't let him escape this time!" He heard him call out behind him.

Dear God, Bird Boy needed a hobby…

Coming to a five pronged fork, he quickly veered left, hoping to find an exit down the path.

Avoiding the fiery falling debris, he ran down the path, hearing Nightwing ordering them to split up and search for him. He furrowed his brow at the command, his mind thinking about a certain Empath. Reaching a dead end, he turned to face the Titan that was following him.

It was her.

A sense of relief washed over him to see that she was alright, but it was quickly followed by a wave of fear as they stood in the fiery building.

"Come on, X," she coughed. "Just give yourself up and let's get out of here."

"No can do," he forced himself to say, searching for a way out. "My client is paying me a great sum of money for me to get these items to him. Can't back out now. Plus, I'm too pretty for prison."

She coughed some more, the smoke getting to her. He gritted his teeth and clenched his fist. Damn, Nightwing and his obsession to capture him.

Damn, Red X for having a reputation to keep…

"Have it your way," she coughed out before conjuring her magic and sending a claw after him.

He dodged it easily enough, jumping off to the side. But he knew he couldn't keep it up for long. The building was starting to come down and he didn't want them to be inside when it did.

Looking around, he found a window just off to the side of them. There was their exit.

A loud creek echoed above them, causing him to look up. One of the support beams on the roof of the building was completely engulfed in flames and looked like it was only seconds away from coming down on his unsuspecting girlfriend.

Panic gripped his heart as he flipped away from another attack from her, shooting his grappling hook towards the only way out. He swung for her as the beam finally gave way and fell. Reaching out for her, he grabbed her and held her close to him, narrowly escaping the beam and shielding her body with his cape. He felt something hit his shoulder, followed by a hot sting but he thought nothing of it.

Protect her. Get her to safety. Don't let her get hurt. Her. Her. Her. Everything was her.

Crashing through the window, he turned them around before they hit the concrete ground to soften the impact.

Keep her safe.

He landed with a grunt, the stinging on his shoulder rippling through him in agitation as they slid across the pavement. When they came to a stop, he pulled the cape from around her and studied her.

"Are you alright?" He asked, worry seeping into his voice.

She looked at him with confused eyes. "Did you just…_ Save_ me?"

He frowned. Fuck.

"Don't get used to it, Little Bird. I have a reputation to maintain," he replied, smugly before hearing Nightwing and the team running for them.

Deciding that he didn't want to stick around for the rest of the Boy Blunder and the rest of the brigade, he pushed her off him and ran off, disappearing into the night.

Little did he notice the shocked expression on Raven's face as the pieces of the puzzle in her brain clicked together.

* * *

><p>"Agh!"<p>

He hissed as he poured the bottle of vodka on his shoulder. Turned out that part of the beam did hit him and landed there, giving him a second degree burn. Landing and sliding on it didn't help.

"Fucking Robin," he bit through gritted teeth before taking a swig of vodka from the bottle. "Who makes their team stay in a burning building?"

Grabbing a towel from the metal table in front of him, he dabbed at the burn as he ran through the nights events over and over again.

He was worried about her. He shouldn't have been worried about her. He had a mission and he should've stuck to it.

"I couldn't have let her burn though…" He muttered to no one in his underground safe house.

But still…

His life as Jason Todd was seeping into his life as Red X. And that wasn't good. It wasn't good for business. It wasn't good for him.

It wasn't good for the life he lead.

He growled, throwing his towel on the table and putting his fingers through his hair. It was only a matter of time before she figured it out. She was a smart one, that Raven. Sharp like a tack. He couldn't hide it from her forever. She was going to figure it out. He was going to slip up one day.

A loud beeping noise interrupted his thoughts. Pulling his hands out of his hair, he looked up at one of the various monitors that the sound was coming from.

"Unauthorized personnel in APT RED425," he read to himself before getting up and looking closer at it.

He furrowed his brows at the screen before typing in a code to access the cameras he had there.

His eyes widened when he saw the intruder.

She was sitting on the edge of his bed, watching the the TV screen and pulling at her hair. Typing in another code, he switched to another camera to see what she was watching. His heart raced.

There on the screen, were various moments he had been fighting the Titans. More specifically, all the times he was fighting her. Taking a shaky breath, he ran his hands through his hair again and stepped away from the computer.

Did she know? Of course, she knew. Why would she be in his apartment unannounced without so much as a phone call? She always called before she came over.

How did she figure it out? Replaying the memory again, he deciphered every movement, every gesture, every word he said. How could she-?

His mind stopped. He called her "Little Bird" just before he made his escape. Jason Todd was the only person who called her "Little Bird." But it had escaped through Red X's mouth and now she knew that the two men were one and the same. She had to. She was a smart one, that Raven.

"Fuck."

Should he go to her? No! It could be a trap. He should run. Run into the night without so much as a goodbye. Never to return to Jump City.

He should run. He should run. He should run.

But instead, he found himself walking to his apartment, standing right outside the door. His heavy heart raced and his body shook with dread.

He should run. But he couldn't. He just… Couldn't let her go yet.

With shaky hands, he put his key in the lock and opened the door. His door creaked loudly as he stepped inside, the sound of the tapes playing in the background. He locked his jaw and squared his shoulders, preparing for the worst.

She didn't look at him when he came in, her eyes focused on the screen ahead of her. Her lips were in a hard line and her jaw was tight. Lights from the screen lit her face, revealing the angry tears that sat in her eyes.

She was hunched over, her elbows on her knees with one arm bent up as it held the remote in her hands. Determined fingers pressed down on the control going from play to forward to rewind to play to forward over and over again, the dialogue repeating like a chorus of a song.

"See you next time, Little Bird."

"Watch your back, Little Bird."

"Careful there, Little Bird."

"Not this time, Little Bird."

"Don't get used to it, Little Bird."

"Little Bird."

"Little Bird."

"Little Bird."

He closed his eyes and flinched at the name that once held so much endearment but was now tainted and the cause of his undoing.

Clenching his jaw tight, he swallowed before he dared to look back at her. She was looking at him now, rage and hurt burning behind those electric eyes.

"Little…Bird…" She repeated, slowly and through teeth. "You call me… _Little… Bird_."

He said nothing. How could he?

"From the moment you called me Little Bird, I wondered where I heard it before… _Little Bird_," she said the name with so much bite, it made him cringe.

She shifted her eyes back to the screen and pressed play.

"Little Bird."

"September 13, 2012. Two years before we met," she muttered, pressing the skip button and then, pressing play.

"Little Bird."

"April 22, 2013. One year."

Press forward. Press play.

"Little Bird."

Forward. Play.

"Little Bird."

Forward. Play.

"Little Bird."

"June 2013. January 2014. February 2014… Seven weeks before we met, Jason," her voice raised, the anger that boiled in her blood pouring through her words.

He stood there. Waiting. Waiting for a chance to speak. Waiting for her to curse him. Waiting for her to strike. Anything. Just waiting.

"I've been doing some digging…" She spoke carefully, picking up a yellow folder beside her and bringing it into view. "And I found out that there is another Jason Todd, born February 3, 1988 that lived in Gotham City that also lived in a boys home."

Standing up, she opened the folder and walked over to him, thumbing the pages within as she read the information there. "6'2" caucasian male with black hair and green eyes. Was taken in by billionaire, Bruce Wayne. And then, _died _five years ago."

She pushed the documents into his hands and looked at him with angry and tear filled eyes. He clutched the folder to his chest, not daring himself to open it.

He didn't have to. He knew what was inside.

"But then, you, Jason Todd, age 26, 6'2" caucasian male all of sudden show up here in Jump City a year later. I guess it's just a coincidence that Red X showed up here at the same time too.

"In fact, doing some further digging, I found that he likes to follow you around. When you went to Paris about a month ago, he was there the same time. When you went to Tokyo, another Red X hit. Istanbul, another hit. Moscow, another. Here in Jump City, the night we met, Red X showed up and you were nowhere in sight!"

A ceramic vase behind her exploded into tiny pieces as the feeling of betrayal built inside her. She stood there in front of him with fists and teeth clenched, shaking from the anger and the feeling of betrayal that rattled inside her.

"Say something," she muttered, hope clinging to her voice.

He shrugged in defeat. "What would you want me to say?"

She blinked at him, furiously, and shook her head. "Tell me that I'm wrong, tell me that none of this is true, that you're hurt-

"Come on, Raven," he whispered, lifting the folder in his hands to view. "We both know you're smarter than that."

She stared at him for a long moment, still and unmoving. He took the silent moment to take her in.

Pin straight purple hair that framed her round face so perfectly. Lips, he knew the curvatures of by heart, were parted and quivered as she struggled to speak. And wide eyes that once held so much warmth for him now shimmered with tears of hurt and betrayal. Only one tear escaped, trailing down her cheek and leaving a pink streak in its wake.

Feeling his heart clench at the sight, he knew he had to make it right. He just had to.

He lifted a hand to wipe it away but she flinched away from his touch. "Raven… I'm so sorry…"

"You lied to me…"

"I didn't mean to-

"You lied to me!" Things were starting to hover and break in the room now as she shook with raw unadulterated fury.

"I know. I'm sorry-

"You _used _me!"

"No, I never did that to you."

"You made me feel things!" The mirror on the wall beside the bed shattered. "You made me feel them for you!"

"I never meant for things to get this far."

"Were you ever going to tell me?!" She snapped. "Or was I going to wake up one morning to find the Tower completely ransacked?"

He paused, thinking about lying. But he couldn't. If he wanted to make things right he had to be completely honest. No matter how agonizing it was to do so.

"I did think about it once."

"You thought about it?!"

"Of course I thought about it! I am Red X, after all."

"I can't believe you!" She shouted. "You_ lied_ to me!"

"Yes."

"You used me!"

"No, I didn't-

"You manipulated me."

"I never-

_"And I believed you! I trusted you! And you used me!"_

"I never used you, Raven!" He argued forcibly, his own anger boiling up in his veins. "I couldn't-

"You made me believe that you cared for me! That you even loved-

"DON'T YOU FUCKING DARE!" He roared, stepping to the witch boldly. "Don't you fucking dare question my feelings for you! I am risking EVERYTHING to be with you! I may have lied to you about who I am and what I do. And yes, sure. I thought about using you to get information on the Titans. But I never did."

"Why?" She snapped, standing her ground against him. "Is it because you didn't have enough time to work out your plan?"

"No, I had plenty of time. I could've if I wanted to. Hell, in the whole time we've been dating, I've had clients offering me very large paychecks to take you guys down. I turned down every single one of them."

Her eyes flickered, confused, uncertain, and wavering. Battling with the knowledge she had about him as Red X and with who she knew as Jason Todd. Her brows pressed into a hard line as she thought.

"Why?"

He couldn't help but let out a light and airy chuckle. She really didn't get it… Maybe that was his fault.

"Because," he started in an almost whisper, stepping close. "I couldn't bring myself to hurt you anymore than I already was."

Her eyes searched his, looking for an answer, perhaps. An absolution that he was truthful. That he was more than just the mask of Red X. That he was, at the end of the day, just Jason Todd.

A man. A simple man.

A man that needed her.

Hope filled his chest as he realized that there was a chance that they could get through this. That they could make it past this. He just had to convince her.

She shook her head at him. "Why should I believe you?"

"Believe this," he murmured, taking her small hand in his and placing it over his heart. She gasped at the motion as she began to feel everything he felt.

Fear that she would leave. Anger and guilt for hurting her. Joy that she allowed him to touch her. But the most powerful of all, burned beneath her fingertips and through his body.

Love.

"I may be a good liar but you and I both know that I cannot fake _this_," he said, stepping closer and pressing her hand harder against his heart. "Believe me."

Her face scrunched as the inner turmoil brewed in every corner of her mind. She shook her head again. "No… I could be projecting everything that I feel… I don't know what's the truth anymore…"

He hissed in frustration, trying to think of a way to make her believe him. She had to. He _needed_ her to.

His eyes glanced over to the kitchen area when an idea struck him. Taking her hand, he lead her over to the refrigerator and began to press the buttons it before opening the freezer side of it to reveal a small pipe with various vials attached. He pointed to a blue vial.

"You see this one?"

"Yes?"

"What is it?"

"Sodium thiopental. Jason, what does this-

"Better known as?"

She sighed in agitation. "Truth serum. What does this has to do with anything?"

He didn't answer her. He just rolled up his sleeve and picked up the vial and grabbed a needle from the door.

"What are you doing?" She stepped back with unease.

With his teeth, he removed the cap from the needle before he injected it into the vial and gathered it's contents.

"Jason?"

Putting the vial aside, he injected the needle into his arm and pressed down on the button, administering the serum to his blood stream. Taking the needle out, he clenched his fist as he felt the serum work its way through him.

"Why did you do that?"

"In one minute and 12 seconds, I won't be able to tell you anything but the truth for at least five hours. No secrets, no lies. The whole truth. Anything you want to know. Everything you want, it's yours," he breathed, his eyes locking on hers.

"You could turn me in and let the Titans have their way with me. Or you can stay and get all the answers you want. Or both. Or neither. Anything you want… It's yours."

She blinked at him again, processing his words. "Anything I want to know?"

"Anything."

She nodded a little, crossing her arms over her chest. "What's your name?"

"Jason Todd."

"When were you born?"

"February 3, 1988. Gotham City hospital."

"How did you die?"

"The Joker. He tied me up and beat me with a crowbar and then, a bomb went off not too long after he left. Hurt like a bitch."

She looked at him again. Just staring. Forever staring into his eyes, searching for answers, truths, promises, absolutions that were held within. He hoped she could find what she was looking for in them.

"Why are you doing this?" She whispered, softly.

He sat on this thought for a moment, considering his words carefully.

Why was he doing this? He could have any girl he wanted to. Hell, he still had some of their phone numbers. There was something about her that reached past the facade and grabbed at his soul. Without even realizing it, she became something that he didn't want to be without.

She took over his mind, his body, his senses and all of the subatomic spaces in between -everything and everywhere was her. All he felt was her.

And he couldn't stop. He didn't want to.

Stepping closer to her, he took her hand again and placed it over his heart as well as placing his hand over hers. He sighed as he leaned down and rested his forehead against hers and soaking in her warmth.

"Because…" He breathed. "You're in my veins and I cannot get you out."

She closed her eyes, the gears of her mind twisting and turning as she thought. He waited nervously for her, knowing that he had given her all the power she needed to hurt him. To destroy him. But it was the price he had to pay to keep her.

He just prayed it was enough.

A few moments passed before she opened her eyes and stepped away from him, slipping out of his arms. Wordlessly, she turned away from him and moved like she was going to the door.

A surge of panic rushed through him and fueled him to take a step for her. He knew his ego was taking a severe beating and it was going to take some more. "Please?"

She froze.

"Stay?" He whispered. "Please?…Stay."

"You can walk out if you want but…" His ego be damned! "I'm asking you…to _stay_."

Something akin to an infinity passed between them before she did one of the bravest things he'd ever seen her do. She lifted her hands to her shoulders and began to peel off her jacket as she walked over to the dining room table. With a shaky breath, she set her jacket down on the back of the chair and sat down.

A small wave of relief washed over him as he walked over to her and sat across from her. He knew they weren't out of the woods yet, that this was going to be one of the longest nights of his life.

But…She stayed…

* * *

><p><strong>Read and Review!<strong>


	5. Part Five

_"Everything will change, nothing stays the same…" _

**Part Five**

He hissed as he limped over to his bed. Everything hurt. His arms, his ribs, his stomach, his chest. All of it felt like it was on fire.

Taking a seat, he sighed heavily before moving his hand to his ribs and accessing the injuries. He groaned and hissed as he pressed down on the bruised flesh there. As he crawled his fingers over his torso, a familiar presence entered the room. Looking over his shoulder to see Raven walking out of a portal towards him, he nodded his head at her.

"The Boy Scout was certainly feeling some type of way tonight," he muttered before groaning in pain as he pressed down. "Starfire not putting out anymore?"

She rolled her eyes as she reached him, surveying him with her eyes. "He's frustrated that you keep getting away."

"Well that is the understatement of the year," he said through his teeth as he accessed the other side of him.

"What's the damage?" She asked.

"Two ribs broken and another one bruised on the left. Three bruised on the right. Right wrist is killing me and I'm pretty sure I sprained my right ankle," he answered before rotating said ankle and hissing. "Yup…I did."

"Not to mention the back of your head is bleeding."

"It is?" He reached a hand to the back of his head before bringing it forward to see his blood coated his fingertips. "Huh. Didn't even feel that."

"That's surprising," she scoffed as she took a seat bedside him on the bed and lifted her hand to the back of his head to heal him. "Your head must be harder than I thought."

"Cheap shot," he smirked before he closed his eyes to her soothing touch as she healed him. Her powers were nice and cool to the touch, calming down the inflamed injuries and healing them over. He sighed, closing his eyes as he leaned to her touch.

"It was close today," he heard her say.

"Hmm?"

"Today," she said, finishing her work on the back of his head. She motioned for him to lie down on the mattress.

He did, grimacing in pain as he went down. "What about today?"

"It was close," she repeated as she took a seat beside him with a grim look on her face. Her hand glowed icy blue as she raised it up over him and began the process to heal his bones. "Too close for comfort."

"I was fine."

"No, you weren't," she argued back.

"Yes, I was. I had it perfectly handled."

"You call a fractured wrist, a sprained ankle, four bruised and two broken ribs, and head trauma 'perfectly handled'?" She shot back, something akin to anger rising in her voice.

He shrugged, nonchalantly with his eyes still closed. "I've been in tighter spots before."

He felt her movements still as the soothing effects of her powers dissipated away. Furrowing his brow, he peaked an eye to look at her and saw that she had moved off the bed to pace in the middle of the room, running her fingers through her hair.

"Hey what-

"Do you realize that we almost caught you?" She blurted out, looking back at him. "That you almost went to jail today?"

Adjusting himself on the bed a little, he studied her as she continued to pace. "Little Bird-

"If I hadn't caused that explosion and distracted Nightwing, you would be in jail and in a lot worse shape than you are now."

"I realize that, Little Bird, and I, thank you but I-

"So don't sit there telling me that you're fine while I heal your broken bones. Don't tell me that you've been in tighter spots when I was there to see Nightwing beat you to a bloody pulp. And _do not_ call me 'Little Bird' when I'm angry at you!" She shouted, another vase cracking behind her beneath the sway of her powers.

He sat there silently as he looked at her. Disheveled and sleep deprived from the drills she had been undergoing all day, not including his stint from earlier that evening. He looked up into her eyes and saw the obvious flicker of anger in them but beyond that he saw what she truly felt:

Pure unadulterated worry for his wellbeing.

He almost berated himself for acting like tough shit in front of her when she knew that he wasn't. Sighing, he motioned for her to come sit by him.

"Come here…"

"Don't," she said, quickly, resuming her pacing. "I'm still angry with you."

"You can be angry with me over here."

"You don't seem to realize-

"I scared you," he interrupted, making her pause in her steps. "I scared you tonight and I'm sorry for that. Now please… Come here."

She stared at him, fighting with her want to keep the fiery flames of her fury at him going but it being quickly dosed by the candy apple green pools of his eyes and the gentleness of his words.

A few seconds ticked by and he sighed.

"Fine then, I'll come to you," he muttered as he tried to move off the bed, grimacing and groaning in pain still.

Raven rushed to his side and pushed him back down to the bed. "No, you stay right there. I haven't finished healing you and it wouldn't be good for you if you moved."

"Well," he breathed as he sat back on the bed. "You wouldn't come to me so I figured I'd come to you."

"Because I'm angry with you."

"No, you're not," he sighed.

"Yes, I am," she fought, sitting next to him on the bed and starting her healing process again.

"You're worried but you're masking it as anger so that I don't see how truly worried you are," he answered simply, his sly grin creeping on his lips. "You forget that I know you."

Pursing her lips together, she looked at her hand, watching her work over him. "I forget how perceptive you can be from time to time, yes."

He gave a low chuckle before he took her hand in his and holding it to his chest. "Lie with me."

Taking a deep breath, she softened before she sighed, giving in to her need to be close to him. Lying down on her side, she faced him with her hand still on his chest. Ignoring the pain, he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and held her close.

"I hate fighting you…" She said softly.

"I know you do," he held her a little closer. "I hate fighting you too."

"You scared me today."

"I know," he whispered with his cheek resting against her crown. But this is what I do, Raven. Sometimes it means getting into tight and sticky situations like earlier tonight."

"That does not make me feel any better," she murmured as she traced a faded scar on his chest with her finger. "In the slightest."

He chuckled as he pressed a kiss to her hairline. "Maybe this will… I promise I will always come home to you."

"You shouldn't make promises you can't keep."

"I'm not," he replied.

Curling a finger under her chin, he lifted her head to look into her wide eyes. "No matter how long it takes, I will always come back to you, Little Bird. I promise."

And before she could question it, he leaned down and kissed her lips, gently. Not a kiss of passion or lust but one heavy with sincerity and comfort and promises.

The most honest kind.

With a sigh, they parted, resting their foreheads against each other as they basked in the warm quiet sanctuary of his apartment.

And then it dawned on him: when did calling it "his apartment" sound weird?

* * *

><p><strong>Read and Review!<strong>


	6. Part Six

_"Oh, all that you rely on and all that you can save will leave you in the morning and find you in the day…"_

**Part Six**

It was supposed to be a simple extract mission.

Go into the building. Download the software onto the hard drive. Flick on the kill switch. Leave and get paid. Possibly fight off a Titan or so, on the escape. But still, it was simple.

Such a simple mission. One he had done hundreds of times, he could practically do it in his sleep. But this time, another player had come into the game. And that person was Slade Wilson.

So here he was: Pinned between all the Titans and Slade. A three way where he was the one getting fucked both ways.

Not a simple mission at all.

The worse part of the standoff was knowing he had to duel against Raven to keep up appearances whilst protecting her from Slade. Even though he knew she was more than capable to protect herself, he still felt that need pounding in his gut. There was no way Slade was getting anywhere near his girl. Not if he had something to say about it.

The battle began when Nightwing went to attack Slade, viewing him as a bigger threat than Red X. Slade charged towards Red X, kicking at him and trying to steal the hard drive away from him, but Red dodged him easily. Seeing a green light in his peripheral vision, he jumped off to the side and let the blast hit Slade instead, before getting caught in a battle with Cyborg. He moved around from battle to battle, dodging each and every single attack he could and taking a few hits along the way, but keeping his eyes on Raven and Slade at all it all came to a head when Slade pulled a gun out and pointed it at his opposer:

Raven.

Time seemed to slow down and speed up, simultaneously, as he jumped into action, completely forgetting about his persona as Red X and becoming the protective boyfriend that was Jason his grappling hook, he leapt over the rail and swung to her, stretching out his arm and reaching for her.

He had to reach her. She had to be safe.

He pushed all of his weight into the swing, trying to go faster as he reached out, ignoring the loud bang he heard off in the distance. Reaching her, he scooped her body into his arms and swung them up and out of the way to the balcony on the other side. He felt a sharp pain in his abdomen as he fell to the ground but he ignored it, grabbing her hand and running away as fast as he could. Hearing gunshots and shouts behind him, he decided it was time to leave and pressed a button on his belt, disappearing from that place and appearing in one of his hideouts.

Turning to Raven, he frantically searched over her body. "Are you okay? Are you hurt? Did he hurt you?"

"I'm okay. I'm okay. He didn't hurt me. I'm okay," she replied, feeling all of his emotions surging through him like a tidal wave. She felt his uneasiness throughout the whole battle and she knew the only reason why he didn't take advantage of Slade's arrival and distraction was because of her and only her.

He cradled her face in his hands and rested his forehead against hers and closing his eyes as relief washed over him.

"Good…" he breathed. "When he showed up… And that _gun_…"

"I know," she sighed, savoring his touch. She knew she couldn't stay long, that the Titans would use her communicator to track her down and find her. But she indulged in a few stolen moments with him. She didn't know why but she just had to.

"You know, you're going to be the death of me, right?" He whispered, lifting his lips to her temple and kissing it gently.

She chuckled softly and opened her mouth to speak when she noticed something wet beneath her fingers. Opening her eyes, she noticed a thick, wet patch coming from his abdomen and seeping into his uniform. Panic hit her as her fingertips grazed the wet mark and saw it tint her skin red with blood.

She gasped. "You've been shot."

He blinked a little before he looked down at himself and noticed the bullet sized hole in his uniform and the growing pool of blood that was soaking through his uniform. Pressing his fingers against the wound, he lifted his hand and examined the red substance. His vision began to fade in and out of focus, blurring at the sides, as the adrenaline wore away and the pain and shock took its place. He teetered back and forth while his life's blood continued to flow out of him.

"So I have," he muttered. "That bastard…"

His body began to shake on it own accord as he fell to his knees with Raven going down with him, calling out for him over and over again, but he couldn't hear her. Only the pounding sounds of his speeding heartbeat pounded in his ears. Lying on his back, he looked up at her from his place on her lap and watched her eyes get wide with fear and panic as she called for him. His eyesight started to blur black, slipping out of consciousness.

For a brief moment, he thought about dying and what lied beyond death before deciding that it didn't matter. As long as he got to look at her one more time before he left this world (for the second time), he was more than content with dying.

"Raven…" He breathed before his world went black.

* * *

><p>There was a beeping sound.<p>

It was loud and repetitive. And annoying.

Fluttering his eyes open, he winced as light flooded into his world, showing a simple white and blue room. He looked around and noticed that he was attached to various machines that beeped and whirred at him. The smell of ammonia and bleach filled his nose, burning it slightly. He sat up, ignoring the small sting in his stomach and quickly finding that his wrist couldn't move past a certain point. Looking down, he furrowed his brows at the silver and shining handcuff that wrapped around his wrist.

Handcuffs. Raven. A gunshot.

He sighed and closed his eyes as all of the pieces clicked together in his head. After all this time of ducking the law, he was finally caught.

Blinking his eyes open again, he dug in his brows again as he turned to the darkest shadow of the room. "Took you long enough to catch me, Dick."

Stepping out of the shadows, the older Robin sans Nightwing stood before him with pressed lips and a hardened expression.

"Honestly, what would Bruce think if he found out it took you this long and the help of another and badder villain to catch me?" Jason jested. "Or maybe he wouldn't have that big of a problem with it seeing that he does it all the time?… How long have I been out?"

"Two hours and you're supposed to be dead," Dick replied back, a hint of malice in his voice.

"And this is the big welcome-back-from-the-grave party I get?" He said leaning back in his bed. "Grayson, you shouldn't have."

"_He_ took you in." Jason frowned, knowing exactly what '_he_' he was talking about. "He put clothes on your back. He trained you. He tried to help you. And you throw it all in his face by becoming some petty thief."

"_Petty_?" Jason snorted. "I'm one of the highest paid thieves in the business. I'm far from being a petty thief."

"He gave you everything!" Dick shouted, coming up to the edge of the bed. "He mourned you. He still mourns you. And you come back from the dead without telling him?! You ungrateful-

Jason clenched his jaw. "Don't you _dare_ call me ungrateful, Side Show! You left him, remember? All because you weren't getting the glory and fame and recognition for all your hard work like the little performer that you are."

"Don't pretend that you know-

"Oh, I'm not pretending. I know plenty about you, Dick. He told me about you." Jason seethed at him. "I know that you were his proudest accomplishment and his biggest disappointment when you left. So much so, he had to find a street urchin, like me, to fill the hole you made as fast as he could."

"But am I still his biggest disappointment when you were the one who died and left him to go back to being that thief you were when he first found you?" Dick challenged, trying to break the younger man before him.

Jason shrugged. "I don't know… All I know is that he got over me quick enough. Who's the new kid now? Tom…?"

"Tim."

"Exactly," Jason snapped his fingers. "Took him only a month or so to find a new one to replace me. Just like he found a new one to replace you. So I can't have broken him up as much as you say I have. Besides, he was the one who let me die."

"He tried to save you."

"He let me die!" Jason shouted. "He let me die and he replaced me! So why should I give a flying fuck about what that prick thinks about me now?!"

Dick pressed his lips together and clenched his teeth and fists. Exhaling, he opened up the folder in his hand. "I don't know. You can ask him yourself."

He paused. Did that mean…? "What?"

"Jason Todd, you are under arrest for theft, grand theft, destruction of state property, the use of illegal weaponry, assault, assault against federal officers, aiding and abetting other criminals, treason, terrorism, and conspiring against the United States of America. You will be transferred to a state prison in Gotham known as the Arkham Asylum. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in the court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed to you. Do you understand these rights as they have been read to you?" Dick recited, flatly.

Jason glared at him for a moment, his fist clenching u. "I understand."

Dick nodded as he closed his folder and turned to the door. Just as he reached it, he stopped and looked over his shoulder at the prisoner.

"Why did you save Raven?" He asked simply.

Jason shrugged. "I guess that's my little party favor from the Bat. The need to protect and save and all that."

Dick paused for a moment thinking about the answer before he nodded again. "He'll be here soon."

And with that he left the room.

Jason sighed as he rested against the pillows of his bed. "Fuck."

It took about five hours from Gotham to Jump City by flight. He was out for two of them. And depending on how fast his former mentor was going it meant he only had two to three hours to get out of there. But before he could make his escape, he had to wait.

He had to wait for her.

It didn't take very long cause soon enough, he felt her presence in the room there. He smiled. "Hello there, Little Bird."

He turned his head to see her standing in the shadows by the window, looking hesitant. Holding his free hand out to her, he waved her over. "Come here."

She sighed and made her way over to him, her hand slipping into his. "How are you feeling?"

He shrugged again. "Eh… I've been in worse scrapes."

"Be serious," Raven sighed, her eyes scanning his body. He had several bruises and cuts from the epic battle but it was mostly the gunshot wound that scared her the most.

"I am serious," he chuckled. "I've literally died and woken up in an actual grave and I survived that. So this? This is a cake walk. No worries, at all."

But the worry and the sadness in Raven's eyes never wavered. He didn't have to be an Empath to know that she felt guilty for landing him here in this predicament. Reaching his hand up, he cupped her cheek.

"Hey…" He said softy. "Thing about being a thief is if you do it long enough, you're going to get caught."

"I helped make it happen sooner than later though," she sighed. "I did this."

"No," he fought, his hand on her face gripping her tighter. "I did this. I could've left but I didn't. I chose this. I chose to save you. I chose _you_. It's not your fault. It's all mine."

"But if I hadn't-

"How long are we going to keep up this thing where I say 'you're fine, it was my fault' and you say 'no, I insist it was mine?' Because we can just say it was both or neither of our faults and save the time," he chuckled, remembering a similar argument from when they first met.

Raven offered a small smile, deciding against arguing you back, realizing that he was right:

They didn't have much time.

"Lie with me," he murmured.

She nodded her head as she sat down on the bed and lied down, facing him. His arm wrapped around her back and caressed her side as her arm went over his chest and her fingers found his jet black hair, stroking it with her nails. They lied there for what seemed like hours, silently staring into each other's eyes, memorizing every corner and curve and detail of the other's face. He counted the number of freckles, that were just a shade paler than the rest of her skin, on her nose. She traced over the old cut at the arch of his left brow where the hair did not grow.

On and on they stared - to count, to trace, to memorize, to linger…

To savor.

Lifting his hand up to her purple tresses, he ran his fingers through them and rested his lips against her temple. "I'm glad I followed you out to that garden all those months ago."

She let out a light and airy and sad chuckle. "I knew you followed me out there."

He smiled. "Yes, yes… You were right. Good for you…"

Raven smiled sadly before her bottom lip curled under her teeth, nibbling on it. She knew what this was. She knew what was coming. But even so, that didn't mean she was ready to say goodbye.

"I love you, Raven…" He whispered against her hairline.

She closed her eyes and choked back her emotions. "I love you too…"

Squeezing his eyes shut, he kissed her temple, her cheek, and, finally, her lips, putting as much emotion and feeling in it as he possibly could. Another small infinity passed between them before they broke away, both hesitant and unwilling to do so. But they had to, lest he goes to prison which wouldn't keep them from avoiding this awful fate.

Biting down on his teeth, he took a deep breath and exhaled the hardest sentence he ever had to say. "It's time for you to fly away now, Little Bird."

She opened her eyes and looked up at him, thinking of something to say. A way to stop this, maybe. To think of another way. But nothing came. So instead she placed her hand over his heart and pushed her emotions into him, letting him feel everything she was feeling while she felt everything he was.

He felt his body shiver from her shared emotions, trying to keep back the pain they were both feeling. He kissed her forehead once again before looking back at her with a saddened expression.

"_Go_."

She felt something inside her shatter at the word but she nodded regardless and sat up, knowing full well of what she had to do. Sliding off the bed, she reached into the inner pocket of her jacket and pulled out a syringe with blue liquid. She placed it in his hand and locked eyes with him.

"Be safe…" She murmured.

He nodded. "You too."

She stayed there for a few seconds more before creating a portal and stepping back into it, disappearing from the room.

Jason stared at the spot where she stood and sighed, sadly. "Goodbye, Little Bird…"

Holding the syringe in his hand, he took a breath before he got to work. Pulling off the top for the needle off with his teeth, he placed tip against his skin on the other arm before inserting it in. Pressing the button, he pushed the blue liquid into his veins and quickly discarded the applicators. In about five seconds, he began foaming at the mouth and went into cardiac arrest as everything went black again.

* * *

><p>She breathed in the frost bitten night air of Gotham City as she stepped out on the balcony from her room in the expansive and notoriously famous Wayne Manor.<p>

It was Christmas time and the Titans decided to visit the older super hero for a few days, leaving Titans East in charge in their absence. While everyone enjoyed their time away from the Tower and indulged in the comforts of Wayne Manor, she couldn't help but feel haunted by the ghost of someone past. Someone she hadn't seen for a few years.

Someone she still sorely missed.

Sighing again, she tapped her pack of cigarettes against her palm before pulling a white stick out and putting it between her lips.

"Need a light?" She heard someone say behind her.

Her eyes widened as she turned around to face her intruder, her hands aglow. Behind her was a man with a shiny red hood over his face and a brown leather jacket with his hands raised.

"Easy there, Little Bird," he said calmly, raising his hands to his hood. "I'm not here to hurt you."

The cigarette fell from between her lips at the endearing nickname she knew so well, as he removed his hood. She held her breath as his green eyes met her electric blue ones. Taking it off completely, he flashed his ever so familiar grin at her.

"Jason…" She whispered, her magic seeping back into her fingertips.

"Hello there, Little Bird…" He answered back, his eyes scanning her. "It's been awhile."

"It has," she agreed with a nod."What are you doing here?"

"I promised you that I would always come home to you," he shrugged. "Took me some time but here I am. I never forget a promise."

She couldn't help the turn of her lips at the sentiment. Her eyes flicked down the the hood in his hand. "You're the Red Hood now."

He nodded, looking down at the mask. "I am."

"I knew it."

He chuckled, tossing it to the side and approaching her. "Is it obvious?"

"Only to the ones that know you," she shrugged, her eyes watching him.

He standing beside her and resting his elbows on the balcony, he nodded. "Does that include Dick?"

"No," she answered. "He thought you were him at first but you changed your MO and that threw him off. You kill people now."

"A necessary evil."

"Is it all that necessary?" She fought.

"Yes, to keep the Bat and the Boy off of my trail and to help get the streets of Gotham clean."

"By killing people?"

"Only the ones who deserve it," he explained.

"Who are you to judge who is innocent and who is guilty?" She argued back.

"The ones who run this damn city made me the judge, the jury, and the executioner in order for there to be real justice."

"That is not up to you to decide, Jason," she bit.

He opened his mouth to argue back before his eyes caught sight of her light freckles on her now cherry red nose and his gut twinged, reminding him of why he was there.

He sighed. "Look…I didn't come here to fight with you."

She paused, her geared up argument dying her throat and being replaced with something softer. "I guess old habits die hard."

"Like your smoking?" He teased with a smile. "You haven't done that since we first met."

"I picked it back up," she explained. "Not too long after you left."

He tried not to be warmed by the sentence. "Still particular about it?"

"Three drags and done," she nodded.

He nodded in response as his eyes went back to counting the freckles on her nose.

She reached her hand up to his hair, noting the small patches of gray hair at either side of his temple. "You're getting gray…"

"Gotham will do that to you," he chuckled, closing his eyes to her touch.

"I like it," she gave him a small smile. "It looks good on you."

He grinned as he opened his eyes and reached his hand up to hold hers, kissing her palm. "And you are more beautiful than the day I met you. And you were quite beautiful then."

She blushed. "Ever still the flatterer."

"But of course," he smiled as he placed another kiss on her palm and pulled her close to him. "I've missed you, Little Bird."

"I've missed you too," she breathed as his hands moved to wrap around her waist, bringing her into his warmth. She moved her hand from his hair and to his chest, feeling all of the beautiful feeling he had for her once again and to push hers into him as well.

They both shivered at the action but welcomed it with open arms. There was something nice about knowing that they still weren't completely over each other after all this time.

"How much time do we have?"

"Not long," he whispered, his brow resting against hers.

She nodded as her fingers moved to lock with each other at the back of his neck. "I guess we shouldn't waste anymore time."

And with that, she leaned her head up and kissed his lips with all the passion she could muster. She knew come morning he would be gone, leaving the ghost of his touch and pleasant memories in his wake. But she didn't care.

All that mattered was that he was here now. And it was funny that she hadn't realized until now:

He was in her veins and no matter how she tried… she could not get him out.

**Fin.**


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